Advice needed! choose between Fancy Vivd vs Fancy Intense cushions

[modelcitizen1989]

I am having my e-ring shopping and finally decided between a 1.11 Fancy vivid VS1 and 1.14 Fancy intense SI1 . I believe all are modified brilliant cushion cut in a single halo setting. I have taken some videos during my stay at the store.

1. Left: Fancy Intense Right: Fancy Vivid

2. Left: Fancy Vivid Right: Fancy Intense

I find out fancy vivid yellow is indeed very intriguing. However this particular one I feel the color is more saturated and also "darker" compare to the FI. And seems to me more shadow areas too under the store lighting? There is a particular small dark area at the center that are noticeable from multiple angles but seemed not an inclusion. Is this sort of ok for fancy vivid yellow cushions?

Your experts please let me know which one you'd prefer form the videos and why.. It would be great help for me!

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

IMO it’s going to be a matter of personal preference... coloured diamonds are going to appeal to each person differently. I’m no expert though.

For me, it would be a combination of what the price difference is between FI and vivid, and how those colours appeared to me in person.

From your second video, I agree, the fancy vivid looks almost a touch dark. It doesn’t in the first one though, so it’s going to be related to lighting I think? Which one speaks to you more?

 

[AV_]

FV is quite a range of colour & prices go with it. This is an intricate little world...

I see no reason to take seriously a FV that does not look even as nice as FI to you. (I couldn't say how close to the F Deep boundary it is - these are just pictures & I am not a grader; eg. Fancy Deep WWW)

Then, perhaps you may want to look further? One thing worth seeing is a great FVY.

 

[rockysalamander]

I like the color of the one on the left in the first video. The one on the right is leaning toward a bit of green/brown in the light you have.

You did not mention a budget, but I've been admiring this ring from a trusted vendor here on PS. It has fantastic body color.
http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/160ct-y-z-vs1-cushion-diamond-ring-r6740

 

[Matilda]

With yellow diamonds it is important to consider the secondary hues, if there are any. nPerhaps you can ask the vendor to show you ones with different secondary hues as well as some without. This could be why you prefer the lighter yellow in this case. It may be that the more intense one has a brown hue.

If you like scroll down to the section on secondary hues for a bit more information:

https://www.leibish.com/about-fancy-yellow-diamonds-article-347

towards bottom of page, "secondary colours":

https://www.naturallycolored.com/buying-guide/yellow-diamonds-buying-guide

 

[cmd2014]

I personally prefer the lighter stone. I’m not an expert at all - this is simply an uneducated layperson preference based on aesthetics. The lighter one is prettier to me.

 

[lovedogs]

I like the color of the one on the left in the first video. The one on the right is leaning toward a bit of green/brown in the light you have.

You did not mention a budget, but I've been admiring this ring from a trusted vendor here on PS. It has fantastic body color.
http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/160ct-y-z-vs1-cushion-diamond-ring-r6740

I love that DBL ring so much

 

[lovedogs]

Edit. Depending on who you are buying from, I would strongly consider looking at or contacting DBL (diamonds by Lauren). David is an expert in cushion cuts and fancy colors, and their pricing is extremely fair.

 

[SimoneDi]

Between the two, I much prefer the vivid yellow in the videos. The intense yellow has a bow tie that I don’t favor.

Who is the vendor? Do any of the stones have fluorescence?

The DBL ring that was linked is pretty, but the center stone is a much lighter shade of yellow.

 

[modelcitizen1989]

IMO it’s going to be a matter of personal preference... coloured diamonds are going to appeal to each person differently. I’m no expert though.

For me, it would be a combination of what the price difference is between FI and vivid, and how those colours appeared to me in person.

From your second video, I agree, the fancy vivid looks almost a touch dark. It doesn’t in the first one though, so it’s going to be related to lighting I think? Which one speaks to you more?

Thanks for replying, the price between the FI and FV are very close. The FV is about 1200 CAD more. Yea the FV I feel is a bit darker than I would have thought. also more "dark" facet reflections compared to the FI. Price wise I think they are both reasonable regrading to the brand.

 

[modelcitizen1989]

I personally prefer the lighter stone. I’m not an expert at all - this is simply an uneducated layperson preference based on aesthetics. The lighter one is prettier to me.

Thanks, that's also what I felt in general when the two were at my hands yesterday. The FI has a favorable color and bright. The FV has more intense sparkles but generally darker.

 

[rockysalamander]

At the risk of being "captain obvious"...are you the intended wearer? If not, has the wearer specifically said they want a yellow diamond?

 

[modelcitizen1989]

Between the two, I much prefer the vivid yellow in the videos. The intense yellow has a bow tie that I don’t favor.

Who is the vendor? Do any of the stones have fluorescence?

The DBL ring that was linked is pretty, but the center stone is a much lighter shade of yellow.

Thanks for your input!

I have checked the videos again the FI stone indeed have some sort of bow tie effect. But it was not obvious to my eye when holding it. The FI stone is graded as "faint" fluorescence. Still requesting info about the FV stone.

The DBL ring indeed looks pretty, but I am more interested in colors at fancy levels.

Vendor wise is T, co. We thought about the vendor route but then the brand also plays a big part here. Being in Canada and the weak of Canadian dollars these days. It is actually not too bad for its price converting to USDs

 

[ringo865]

Thanks for replying, the price between the FI and FV are very close. The FV is about 1200 CAD more. Yea the FV I feel is a bit darker than I would have thought. also more "dark" facet reflections compared to the FI. Price wise I think they are both reasonable regrading to the brand.

What does “regrading to the brand” mean?

 

[rockysalamander]

We thought about the vendor route but then the brand also plays a big part here. Being in Canada and the weak of Canadian dollars these days. It is actually not too bad for its price converting to USDs

All I can say is please talk with DBL before you commit. They truly are experts with fancy color and T&C are not. See what DBL can offer in your budget and color preferences. They will make sure that you get a very well-cut stone. While cut is second to color in fancies, it is still important.

 

[modelcitizen1989]

At the risk of being "captain obvious"...are you the intended wearer? If not, has the wearer specifically said they want a yellow diamond?

Not at all! I am just picking the e-ring for my gf. And no she hasn't said that. But she did admired the rarity and unique of yellow diamonds in relative to the "colorless". I have kept the it sort of a secret from her. Surprise is a part of engagement after all

 

[lovedogs]

All I can say is please talk with DBL before you commit. They truly are experts with fancy color and T&C are not. See what DBL can offer in your budget and color preferences. They will make sure that you get a very well-cut stone. While cut is second to color in fancies, it is still important.

This. I am fairly sure you're going to end up paying huge mark ups for an inferior quality product. DBL lives and breathes fancy cuts and colors, and as rocky said, T&C don't.

 

[lovedogs]

Not at all! I am just picking the e-ring for my gf. And no she hasn't said that. But she did admired the rarity and unique of yellow diamonds in relative to the "colorless". I have kept the it sort of a secret from her. Surprise is a part of engagement after all

Please talk to her before buying a fancy yellow. Some people love them as right hand rings but wouldn't even consider them for an engagement stone. This Is a huge purchase, and she needs to at least be on board with something that deviates so far from the norm.

 

[modelcitizen1989]

All I can say is please talk with DBL before you commit. They truly are experts with fancy color and T&C are not. See what DBL can offer in your budget and color preferences. They will make sure that you get a very well-cut stone. While cut is second to color in fancies, it is still important.

Thanks, I will for sure keep that in mind before making the decision

 

[rockysalamander]

Please talk to her before buying a fancy yellow. Some people love them as right hand rings but wouldn't even consider them for an engagement stone. This Is a huge purchase, and she needs to at least be on board with something that deviates so far from the norm.

Exactly. I love colored diamonds, but I would hesitate to pick one for a ring I intend to wear every day with every outfit and in every circumstance. PLEASE ask a friend to get some intel from her

 

[lovedogs]

Thanks for your input!

I have checked the videos again the FI stone indeed have some sort of bow tie effect. But it was not obvious to my eye when holding it. The FI stone is graded as "faint" fluorescence. Still requesting info about the FV stone.

The DBL ring indeed looks pretty, but I am more interested in colors at fancy levels.

Vendor wise is T, co. We thought about the vendor route but then the brand also plays a big part here. Being in Canada and the weak of Canadian dollars these days. It is actually not too bad for its price converting to USDs

DBL has tons of options in fancy colors. That was just one example.

 

[SimoneDi]

Thanks for your input!

I have checked the videos again the FI stone indeed have some sort of bow tie effect. But it was not obvious to my eye when holding it. The FI stone is graded as "faint" fluorescence. Still requesting info about the FV stone.

The DBL ring indeed looks pretty, but I am more interested in colors at fancy levels.

Vendor wise is T, co. We thought about the vendor route but then the brand also plays a big part here. Being in Canada and the weak of Canadian dollars these days. It is actually not too bad for its price converting to USDs

Faint blue is usually not a problem, but I have found that blue flouro, even when faint, can weaken the color a little bit when exposed to UV light. That paired with the bow tie will eliminate the diamond for me.

Does your intended want a fancy yellow ring and does she want Tiffany?

As others have suggested DBL and Leibish I will say are excellent vendors of fancy diamknds.

 

[rockysalamander]

About 12 years ago, a friend was getting engaged. He was adamant that his intended wanted a yellow diamonds. She said so. She loved yellow. Her whole house was yellow inside. As I'm more of a "trust but verify" personality, I arranged to have her invited to a brunch with mutual friends. I brought along a bunch of colored gemstones including a bunch of yellows (mostly sapphires) and borrowed my mom's fancy intense yellow diamond, along with a few of my diamonds that are mostly antiques, but range in colors. I initiated a "lets play with these". What I learned that she did love the yellow, but they looked terrible on her skin. They totally died. She loved several of my diamonds and that helped me guide my friend.

Not saying this will be what you learn, but its why we encourage you to make sure she not only wants a yellow diamond but likes them on herself. When you move away from white (which is pretty neutral), it takes more work to be sure.

@sledge and @blueMA are good at figuring out ways to get a girl to try on a ring...

 

[Matilda]

and heres a tiffany's preloved:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22000-Tiff...=item26092bafb6:g:u3EAAOSwO-hcGshO:rk:27:pf:0



I agree with the above recommendations to investigate DBL and leibish, and most importantly the yellow diamond AS an engagement ring.

I love yellow diamonds, I am utterly obsessed with my mother's one in particular. But when it came to a ring that I would wear every day in outfits ranging from tracksuits to evening gowns, I wanted a colourless diamond. My fiancé proposed with a place holder ring, the idea being we would pick the ring together. (we thought this would be best to ensure we were both happy). The placeholder ring was a three stone; two white diamonds and a yellow sapphire.......until my engagement ring was ready the placeholder sapphire ring often clashed with my clothes and frankly required too much thought to my outfit in the morning. It makes a lovely right hand/cocktail ring though.

It may very well be that she wants a yellow diamond engagement ring, not just a yellow diamond jewellery piece. In which case go for it!

 

[modelcitizen1989]

Thanks very much for all you guys' opinions and insights! That is quite some information for me
We had previously browsed around for colorless diamond together some of them are indeed gorgeous and lots blings but I read she wasn't "that" super excited about any hence that's the fancy yellow e-ring idea came out I think I do need to give it a consideration again to really set up my mind ! And also try harder for her opinions on a yellow e-ring.

 

[rockysalamander]

Thank you for listening and learning with us.

One way to get yellow diamonds in a setting without going too far on inquiry to your girl would be a 3-stone setting. You could use yellow side-stones and a white center. If she ever wanted to reset without them, they'd make a great pair of earrings. So, I'd aim for symmetrically shaped side stones (square, round). Keep the side stone on the small side.

This is @Siamese Kitty ring that I used a mask to add some pretty yellow side stones (hope that was ok!). This is a 8.45 mm center with 4.75 mm side stones. The sides could be a bit smaller too given that it will take a good maker time to find a matched pair -- some size flexibility is important. But, with colored sides, I would not want them proportionally much bigger.



We can help you with a setting that will allow a flush wedding band -- again her flexibility.

 

[rockysalamander]

One other way to bring in the yellow diamonds with solitaire is to use yellow melee in the shank. This may not be the exact shape or style you like, but this is more flexible than a halo. If she ends up preferring an alternative, these side stones could easily become a Right hand ring or a band. And, you did not spend a ton on the actual setting.

This is a photoshop using two DBL existing rings. But, its awful pretty!



An antique diamond might also bring a more unique element.

 

[Karl_K]

With fancy colored diamonds being well cut means showing you the color you paid in all its glory evenly across the stone in as many different lighting conditions as possible with minimal dark zones or anything else that interferes with viewing the color.
While neither one looks that badly cut, one does have more large dark zones than the other in the video.

 

[cmd2014]

I read somewhere that 40% of women don’t end up loving their engagement rings...and we’ve certainly seen here a lot of women who have not. It’s a lot of sadness and stress when it happens. So while I know surprise proposals and surprise rings seem romantic, they are also risky (and a whole lot less romantic if your SO does not love the ring, or the proposal, or isn’t ready to say yes). My vote is to always shop together. Get a real sense of what she likes/doesn’t like, wants/doesn’t want, and what suits her (which is crucial - I know what I *thought* I loved and what actually looked good on me were two very different things once I started trying rings on) and then maybe make the final decision a surprise. Ring shopping is romantic. I wouldn’t have missed out on that part for the world. There’s something fun about serious trying on versus “someday” dreaming, and it’s a bonding moment too.

 

[Matilda]

@cmd2014 it is funny I remember reading 56%, though I don't know how accurate that is. I agree with you completely, it is very romantic to do the engagement ring shopping as a team. Since the placeholder ring and then the final engagement ring, my non engaged friends have asked me to make sure their boyfriends do the same or similar, as in do it together!
Also the proposal was a surprise. The timing was a surprise, the location etc. But I knew it would happen, just not when. I think it is common for couples to discuss marriage as well as rough timelines as to when they want to do so, when they want children etc.